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I was at an izakaya with a few friends in Tokyo, when a guy (non-Japanese) a few tables down started yelling in Japanese about wanting some sake. He was pretty upset since he was speaking in Japanese, yet the waiter still didn’t know what he wanted and kept asking him what he wanted…Thankfully someone nearby figured out that he wanted Japanese rice wine and was able to step in and tell the waiter “nihonshu” after which he explained to the upset (and drunk?) man that saying that you want “sake”, is the equivalent of ordering “Alcohol.”
So, to make sure everyone doesn’t start yelling for sake like tom cruise in The Last Samurai… here are a few good things to know about alcohol in Japan.
[Japanese -to- English]
(O)Sake (お酒) – Alcohol (in the general sense)
Nihonshu (日本酒) – Japanese rice wine (fermented Rice) ~often referred to as sake outside of Japan
Shōchū (焼酎) – Distilled Liquor (can be made with several alternative base ingredients)
Nama beer (生ビール) – draft beer; draught beer, referring to beer that comes from a cask or keg rather than from a bottle or can.
Yōshu (洋酒) – Western wine and spirits; Western liquor, whiskey, vodka, etc.
What is the difference between Shōchū and Nihonshu you might ask?
“And what does that mean exactly?”
Fermentation: involves the conversion of the sugar into alcohol through the digestive process of certain yeasts. Fermentation cannot produce a higher alcohol content than can be tolerated by the yeasts. Sake is made with blends of rice, sugar, and yeast.
Distillation: is the process of heating the mixture and then condensing the vapors to create a higher alcohol content . The distillation of beer wort produces whiskey. The distillation of wine produces brandy. The distillation of fermented sweet potato produces sweet potato shōchū (imo-jochuu).
Nihonshu is made from rice; Shōchū can be made from sweet potato (imo), barley (mugi), rice (kome) and other ingredients. Shōchū is typically stronger (on average, 25-30% alcohol vs. 15-18% alcohol)
Want to know how to pick a bottle of Nihonshu or Shōchū? Check out this article diving into the topic in more depth!
Alcohol in Japan: A Public Service Announcement I was at an izakaya with a few friends in Tokyo, when a guy (non-Japanese) a few tables down started yelling in Japanese about wanting some sake.
